Chapter 404: A Fatal National Situation

After nearly a century of expansion, the Arabs had occupied vast territories west of the Amu Darya River and south of the Aral Sea. During the Umayyad dynasty, they even crossed the Amu Darya and advanced eastward, seizing the entire Sogdian region. However, three years ago, the Battle of Talas took place, and the emerging Abbasid dynasty was defeated by the Tang forces, forcing them to retreat west of the Amu Darya. Though defeated, the Abbasids never accepted that the borders between the two nations were fixed at that point and never wanted to give up the fertile Amu Darya basin. They trained their troops and prepared intensively to make a comeback across the river, even aiming to advance further eastward to the Pamir Mountains and restore their territorial control as it was before the Battle of Talas.

But internal strife within the Abbasid dynasty forced them to put aside their ambitions to reclaim the eastern lands for the time being and focus on resolving internal problems. As Caliph Mansur’s position gradually stabilized, the internal conflicts subsided. At this moment, the Arabs’ eastern territories suffered another major setback—their major grain suppliers, Sindh and Punjab, were occupied by the Tang forces.

The severe situation compelled Mansur to make a decision: they had to counter the growing threat posed by the Tang forces. If they remained weak, the Tang forces might cross west of the Amu Darya, putting his empire at risk of collapse.

To fully confront the Tang dynasty, Mansur’s envoy, Khalid, reached a memorandum of understanding with the Romans. The Abbasid dynasty recognized Cyprus as belonging to Byzantium, and both sides withdrew their troops from the border. With the ceasefire agreement, Byzantium withdrew its troops northward to focus on dealing with the increasingly provocative Bulgars. Meanwhile, Mansur ordered the 100,000 troops withdrawn from the border to launch a eastern campaign. He appointed the governor of Iraq, Haman, as the emir of this army, leading 100,000 troops toward Khwarazm. He also ordered Ziyad of Khorasan to lead 40,000 troops toward the Amu Darya, aiming to draw the main Tang forces into the middle reaches of the river.

In Merv, within the governor’s palace, Ziyad listened solemnly to Shahim’s report. Shahim had endured great hardships to escape back to Merv. He and his 500 men who had fled from Nishapur encountered Tang forces while crossing the river. Most of the 500 men were killed or wounded, and only less than a hundred managed to escape across the Amu Darya with Shahim.

“Are you sure the siege weapons used by the Tang forces were the same fire bombs used in the Battle of Talas?”

Shahim placed his hand on his chest, still shaken: “I’m sure. The fire bombs they used this time were even more powerful, directly collapsing the walls of Nishapur. By my Allah, it was like living a nightmare at the time.”

Qiyad’s face turned pale. He said nothing, walked over to the map, and stared blankly at the river. The most terrifying scene from the Battle of Talas flashed back in his mind—the Tang army setting fire to the Khazar war chariots that had pretended to surrender, causing violent explosions amidst the Abbasid forces, killing tens of thousands of people. That hellish scene remained unforgettable to him. If the Tang army possessed such terrifying weapons, could his own army still have a chance of winning? Moreover, the caliph was using the Khorasan army as a decoy, meaning the Khorasan forces would face the main force of the Tang army.

For this attack on Merv, he had thought the caliph would appoint him as the commander of the expeditionary force. Instead, he appointed Khalid’s brother, Hammad, as the emir of the expeditionary force. A hundred thousand troops were sent to Khwarezm while he was meant to draw the main Tang forces. He suspected the caliph had other plans.

For some reason, Qiyad thought of Abu Muslim again. If he lost this battle as well, would Mansur kill him just as he had killed Abu Muslim?

Qiyad knew that the Khorasan army had always been a source of concern for Mansur.

Thinking of this, Qiyad sighed and said tiredly to Shahim, “You may go. I understand.”

“But…”

Shahim hesitated for a moment before asking, “What reward should I receive for attacking Nishapur this time?”

“A reward?” Qiyad glanced at him coldly. It would have been fine if he hadn’t mentioned rewards. But when rewards came up, he remembered how his most elite three thousand troops had been wiped out. He had already been generous by not holding him accountable. Yet Shahim still dared to ask for a reward.

Shahim had originally been Mansur’s personal bodyguard captain. Three years ago, he was transferred to the Syrian army as deputy commander but encountered the Battle of Talas. After suffering a defeat, he fled back to Syria, where Abbas removed him from his position. He spent two years idle at home. When Mansur ascended to the throne, he returned to active service in Khorasan. Although his qualifications were not high, due to Mansur’s influence, Qiyad treated him specially, appointing him as a general and publicly claiming that Shahim was his favorite general. But in reality, Qiyad was extremely wary of him and kept a close eye on him. This time, Qiyad wanted to use the Tang army to get rid of him, but unexpectedly, Shahim managed to escape again, which angered Qiyad greatly. With a dark expression, he said, “Your ‘reward’ is that I won’t kill you or hold you accountable for the destruction of your entire army. Go!”

“What!” Shahim flew into a rage. After going through so much hardship and nearly dying nine times, the reward he received was merely not being killed. He could no longer hold back and slammed the table in anger, shouting, “Three thousand men went deep into enemy territory, with no reinforcements or way to retreat. They were slaughtered by tens of thousands of Tang soldiers—how could our entire army not be wiped out? Although I didn’t last ten days, I held on for six and killed thousands of Tang soldiers. Isn’t that any merit at all? General Ziyad, you yourself told me that the Caliph had promised to make me governor of Libya as long as I held on for ten days. Though I didn’t last ten days in Nisapur, I held on for eleven days in enemy territory—this already counts as completing the mission. Even without the title of governor of Libya, I shouldn’t be left with nothing. General Ziyad, I refuse to accept your decision!”

Ziyad remained unmoved and said coldly, “I’m a soldier who only considers military achievements when awarding rewards. How could I possibly reward a general whose entire army has been wiped out? How can I face my troops? Not killing you is already a favor—how dare you still demand rewards? If I reward you, where will fairness come from?”

Shahim was furious. He waved his arms and shouted, “How can there be fairness? Ibrahim lost Sindh and Punjab—his entire army was wiped out too, yet you still appointed him vice-governor of Khorasan without holding him accountable. So why don’t you talk about fairness then? Just because you married his sister, just because I come from the Syrian army and not your faction, you mistreat me at every turn, sending me on a mission that could kill me. Luckily, I was lucky enough to survive and disappoint you.”

Suddenly, Shahim stepped back, staring at Ziyad with eyes blazing, “I see now. In fact, the Caliph never ordered me to cross the Amu Darya River. It was you who changed the Caliph’s decision on your own, sending me to attack Nisapur and demanding I hold on for ten days. You actually wanted to use the Tang soldiers to get rid of me, didn’t you?”

“Dare you!”
Ziyad drew his sword and pointed it at him, saying coldly, “If you dare talk nonsense again, I’ll kill you on the spot!”

At that moment, Shahim suddenly calmed down, raised his hands, and said, “Alright! I was wrong, General Ziyad. I was terrified by the Tang soldiers’ weapons and tactics. Please forgive me.”

Ziyad slowly sheathed his sword and stared at him for a long time before saying, “Considering you escaped back to report, I’ll spare you this time. But if you dare be rude to me again, I’ll cut off your head with my sword. Get lost!”

Shahim suppressed his intense anger and slowly retreated. Qiyad watched him leave, feeling troubled. He actually didn’t dare kill Shahim—this Shahim had been transferred from Syria and wasn’t even a governor of a small region. Yet the caliph had promised to make him governor of Libya, showing such high regard for him. Could it be that he intended for Shahim to replace him?

After pondering for a moment, Qiyad immediately ordered his guards, “Keep an eye on this man. Report to me immediately if anything happens.”

At that moment, Ibrahim rushed into the room, placing his hand on his chest in salute. “General, why not kill Shahim? This is a rare opportunity!”

Ibrahim was the governor of Sindh who had been defeated by Chang Qing in Punjab. He was Qiyad’s brother-in-law. It was because of this relationship that Qiyad tried his best to defend him. In his reports to Mansur, he claimed that Li Qing’an, the commander of the Tang army, personally led a hundred thousand troops to attack Sindh, and Ibrahim, with too few troops, was defeated by the Tang forces, thereby covering up Ibrahim’s failure in Sindh. Now, he had appointed Ibrahim as vice-governor of Khorasan, giving him control over half of the army. It could be said that Ibrahim was his most trusted confidant.

Qiyad sighed and said, “It’s not that I don’t want to kill him. But if I do, the caliph will surely not spare me.”

“But if you don’t kill him, do you think the caliph will spare you?”

Ibrahim’s words struck at Qiyad’s core concern. Qiyad collapsed weakly into a chair, holding his head and digging his fingers into his hair. In pain, he said, “Ibrahim, what should I do now? If I disobey, the caliph will kill me. But if I obey and attack the main force of the Tang army and fail, the caliph will still kill me. This time, the caliph clearly has ulterior motives—wanting the armies of Khorasan and the Tang army to fight each other while keeping the final victory for Haman. He’s simply too cruel.”

Ibrahim was not only Qiyad’s confidant but also his military advisor, able to advise him in critical moments. He already had a plan. “General, there’s actually only the old method I suggested.”

Qiyad slowly raised his head. “You mean I should follow in the footsteps of Muslim and defend Khorasan?”

Ibrahim nodded. “In fact, the Abbasid caliph wanted to kill Abu Muslim. But because Muslim had control of the Khorasan army, the Abbasids couldn’t move against him. Mansur also couldn’t act against Muslim, but he was more cunning. He used the general to seize power, leaving Muslim without any support, and then killed him. General, you must learn from this lesson. Without an army, you’ll be at Mansur’s mercy.”

Qiyad’s eyes narrowed into slits. Ibrahim was absolutely right—he was merely a tool used by Mansur to eliminate Muslims, not his confidant. His true confidants were Khalid, Haman, and other members of the Barmakid family, as well as people like Shahim, who were like venomous snakes lurking around him. Mansur would never allow him to take control of Khorasan. Now that the Muslims were dead and Old Ali was dead, it was his turn, Qiyad’s. At this moment, Qiyad finally made up his mind—he would not let Mansur manipulate him.

Thinking of this, he asked, “Then tell me, how should I protect my army in Khorasan?”

Ibrahim smiled slyly and said, “It’s actually very simple. General, if you delay sending your troops by twenty days, allowing the Tang forces to see the caliph’s intentions, their main force will head north to Khwarezm. Then, General, you can position your troops along the Amu Darya River. You can even secretly send someone to contact Li Qing’an and tell him that you won’t cross the river. In that way, let Haman face the Tang forces’ main army. If he wins, General, you can cross the river and attack Transoxiana. If he loses, General, you can withdraw. By then, the caliph’s strength will be greatly reduced, and he won’t be able to do anything to you. It’s a two-pronged strategy. What do you think?”

“Brilliant!” Qiyad patted his shoulder and praised, “Very brilliant. But I don’t need to send anyone to tell Li Qing’an. He and the Muslims already had an understanding back then. I believe he must be very aware of my situation.”

At that moment, hurried footsteps were heard outside. A bodyguard rushed into the room and said, “General, Shahim tried to escape, but we caught him.”

“What!” Qiyad stood up abruptly, furious. “How dare he be so bold!”

Ibrahim quickly advised, “General, if you don’t kill this man now, it will cause endless trouble.”

Qiyad nodded and ordered, “Execute him immediately. Inform the entire army—Shahim betrayed his comrades and fled alone. Military law offers no mercy!”

Poor Shahim managed to escape by a narrow margin. He didn’t die at the hands of the Tang forces but died in the internal strife among the Arabs.

……

This winter was especially cold. A cold wave hit various parts of the Arab world, and Damascus became unbearably cold as well. Everyone wore thick leather coats. Along with the cold, a similarly ruthless rumor spread through the streets and alleys of Damascus these days: Khorasan was going to declare independence and establish its own kingdom, with Qiyad, the governor of Khorasan, planning to proclaim himself king and openly break away from the caliph. No one knew who spread this news, and its origin could no longer be traced. Yet the rumor spread like wings, rapidly filling every corner of Damascus.

In the Damascus Palace, Khalid hurried through a series of halls, guided by two black eunuchs, until he reached the Map Palace. The palace supervisor whispered to Khalid, “Lord Ziyad, please do not anger the Caliph any further; he is now filled with rage.”
“I know. I will be careful.”
The supervisor pushed the door open and let Khalid in. Although it was daytime, curtains had been drawn around the Map Palace, casting a dim light. Mansur stood before the empire’s maps with his hands behind his back. His once tall and straight posture now seemed slightly hunched. Khalid sighed inwardly—he was well aware of the pressures the Caliph was under. What was once a vibrant emerging empire was now fraught with crises, even at risk of collapse, due to too many ambitious people within it.
“Khalid.”
Mansur’s voice was deep, laced with deep fatigue. “I should have killed Ziyad last time.”
Khalid knelt on one knee, placing his hand on his chest, and spoke in a highly respectful tone, trying to persuade him: “Most rumors from the streets hide ulterior motives. With a great enemy at hand, they are likely attempts by the enemy to sow discord. Although Ziyad is a bit rebellious, I absolutely do not believe he wants to proclaim himself king.”
“I am the great Caliph. Naturally, I wouldn’t believe street rumors. But I have conclusive evidence that forces me to believe these rumors might be true. The evidence is on the table right in front of you.”
Only then did Khalid notice a letter on the table. Hesitantly, he picked it up. It was written by Shahim. Khalid remembered that Shahim used to be part of Mansur’s personal guard—a fierce and brave young officer. He seemed to be in Khorasan now.
After reading the letter, he was stunned. Ziyad had sent Shahim with three thousand men to capture Nishapur, claiming it was an order from the Caliph. But Khalid clearly remembered the Caliph’s order was for Shahim to lead thirty thousand men to station themselves on the west bank of the Euphrates River and feign an attack on Nishapur. How could it have turned into an attack with just three thousand men?
Khalid immediately realized that Ziyad was falsifying the Caliph’s orders, likely to get rid of Shahim.
“Shahim is dead! This letter was delivered at great risk by one of his confidants.”
Mansur’s voice sounded sad. “He captured Nishapur, fulfilling his commander’s orders, and barely escaped back from there. But his commander killed him on charges of desertion, not on the battlefield, but at the hands of his own people.”

Khalid was extremely worried. He knew Mansur well; if Mansur no longer felt anger toward Ziyad, it meant he was determined to kill him. That was exactly what worried Khalid. Now that war was about to break out, it was the time for the entire empire to unite to confront the Tang Dynasty in the East. Yet, an additional complication had arisen—distrust and suspicion between the caliph and the powerful officials. How could they win this war under such circumstances?

“Your Majesty, no matter how many reasons Ziyad may have to be killed, you must restrain your anger toward him. You are currently fighting hard against the Tang Dynasty, and we must absolutely avoid internal strife. After this battle, I will personally lure Ziyad here and hand him over to you for punishment. At that time, I will be the first to support his execution.”

Mansur slowly turned around and returned to his seat. After pondering for a long time, he said, “I have planned this battle very carefully. Its success depends on the seamless cooperation between Ziyad and Haman. But now I’m worried that Ziyad might act out of self-interest and not carry out my orders diligently. Khalid, I’m very concerned about this battle. If we lose again, we will never regain our lands in the East.”

“What do you plan to do, Your Majesty?” Khalid asked in a low voice.

Mansur thought for a long time. Finally, a determined look appeared in his eyes as he declared firmly, “I think the only solution now is for me to go to Khorasan personally to oversee the battle, ensuring he has no room for self-interest.”